


Got to Learn to Walk Before you can Run

by JadeElite



Series: Reasons to Live [1]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Deviates From Canon, F/M, Original Character(s), Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-14
Updated: 2018-04-23
Packaged: 2019-03-31 08:48:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13971525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JadeElite/pseuds/JadeElite
Summary: I’m not going to justify it. I’ve been a dedicated fan of the show since it started back when I was 13/14. And I’ve liked Daryl from day one. Somehow it took me 8 years, but I finally ended up making an OC, like I do for every damn thing I fall in love with. And then I see there’s a lot of love and a lot of need for Daryl fics out there, and as somebody who loves to write I’m more than happy to fill the need. And I figured that it’s about damn time I start learning knew writing styles and techniques (non-linear story telling is something I’ve been aching to give a go, and my third person skills could use some brushing up on) So, settle in ladies and gentlemen (don’t be shy I know there’s a few of you out there), prepare for action, prepare for slow burn, prepare for fluff for angst for smut and all the in between, prepare yourself for some plot changes along the way, cause it would be damn boring if I just followed every little thing set by the show, where’s the fun in that. I want to see what happens if I write this shit.All that given, I really would love to hear opinions and see what you guys want to see.





	1. Milk Run

**Author's Note:**

> Daryl and Marie are on a supply run, nothing too dangerous. They’re certainly far more in sync with each other than the first few months out on the road. As well as more comfortable than when they first met, closer too. Present time frame is Post S3 Finale, Pre S4 Premier.

            “You know you did not have to come with me.” Marie halts the car at the entrance to a rundown grocery store, with enough force that she and her companion are thrown forward a bit. Drivers like her are the reason seat belts were invented, and she is the only reason Daryl will ever strap in. The store looked as though even in its hay day it hadn’t been much of a sight. “This is a simple milk run. I am sure you have much more important things to deal with.”

            “Naw, was gettin’ bored actually.” Daryl loads his crossbow, before popping his door open. “Anyways, don’ feel right lettin’ you go out alone with the Govaner still running around.”

            “What? You think I cannot handle one man?” Marie assessed the area as she exits the car. It was quiet, but she knew that didn’t mean safe. “I am insulted.” She rounds the car and stands by Daryl’s side, allowing him to lead, her walk is much more relaxed than the man’s. But he does, as he always does, keeps his pace slow enough to match her left leg limp.

            “I don’ wanna take any chances is all.” He tenses at the thought of what might happen to the woman if the Governor found her out alone. Certainly, she could defend herself, but that didn’t guarantee her safety. “I’m jus’…I don’…” He grunts in frustration at his own words and emotions.

            “Well, I am glad you are with me.” She says with a smile, pulling the door open. She stands to the side so that Daryl has a clear shot at anything that comes out.

            Her heart flutters at the sound of the crossbow firing, blood heats up at the satisfying noise of the bolt landing in the walker’s skull. Daryl reloads quickly, but she swings the door into the second assailant just in case, causing it to stumble and fall. It’s mere seconds before a bolt is between its eyes as well.

* * *

 

_A year ago, Greene Farm_

            Marie’s heart jumped at the crossbow twang when it went off several feet behind her. It was certainly quieter than a gun, but louder than she had expected when she saw it hanging off the back of one of the newcomers the day before. The walker she’d been watching fell, and silence filled the forest. She had been so lost in thought, watching the strange thing lumbering around, that she had not even noticed somebody with a beating heart was following her.

            “Daryl Dixon, right?” She spoke softly, not quite turning to look at him, but shifting in the general direction. “You should not be sneaking up on me like that.” The young woman is a slow speaker, each word deliberate and considered. “Why did you follow me?”

            “Saw you wanderin’ off towards the woods, wondered what you were up to.” The man stepped into her line of sight, moving towards the dead body to retrieve his bolt.

            “Hershel told me that a walk would be good for my leg, so a walk I have elected to take.” She leaned heavily on the walking stick that had been provided to her once she was up and moving around, refusing to acknowledge the growing pain in her left leg.

            “Think he meant a walk around the farm, not fer you to go limpin’ through a forest full of walkers by yourself.” Daryl looked around as though a dead one might come around from a tree at any second. “I mean we’re still looking for Sophia, las’ thing we need is another little girl lost in the woods.”

            Marie casted a sideways glare at Dixon, before continuing to hobble deeper into the forest. “I can take care of myself _monsieur_.”

            “What did you jus’ call me?!” He stood to block her path. Which resulted in a walking stick to kneecaps. Daryl cussed as pain bloomed across the area, but the consequences upon Marie for the assault came before he could deliver them.

            _“Merde!”_ She exclaimed, without the stick supporting her she lost her balance and fell towards the ground.

            “The hell was that fer’!” Daryl raised his voice as he bent down to rub his aching knee. “Listen I’m jus’ out here trying to make sure you don’ get yourself eaten by a walking corpse, I don’ typically expect much appreciation from you people for that, but the least you can do is not attack…” He trailed off when she saw her lying on the ground, hissing in pain and holding her injured leg. “Karma’s a bitch ain’t it?” He mumbles, before kneeling to help her.

            “She is quite the wicked woman.” Marie groaned, looking warily at him as he aided. One arm wrapped around her waist, the other hand took one of hers. Quickly he lifted her to her feet, but it was too much weight at once. Fire bloomed from her wound, consuming her entire thigh. She leant on him to get off the bad limb, but not before crying out. _“Putain ça fait mal!!”_

            The forest wasn’t silent, it hasn’t been in a long time. The leaves crunched under multiple sets of footsteps. The groans of the hungry dead could be heard approaching. Marie and Daryl both grew tense as five walkers appear form the trees, drawn by the noise.

            “Run.” Marie whispered, eyes flitting between the walkers and the living man. She wouldn’t have the man waste his life for her.

            “Not leavin’ you behind,” Daryl snapped, taking aim at the closest one. “Jus’ stay behind me.” The last thing he was going to do was leave somebody behind to be eaten by one of these things.

            Marie gripped the shoulder she was forced to lean on, assessing the situation, quickly trying to formulate a plan to get them out of this. She had no concern for herself, but if Daryl was going to stay by her side she had to be sure that he didn’t needlessly die for her. While he reloaded she reached for the knife on her belt, gripping it so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Daryl turned to one coming at them from another direction, which caused Marie to lose her balance and cuss in her native tongue again when she put weight on her injury.

            “Sorry.” He whispered, wincing at the pain in her face, before he fired at the walker.

            They were getting closer now, they would likely be on them before the hunter would have the time to take each of them down.

            “You should not have been out here.” With a bit of flourish, she flicked her wrist, sending the blade spinning through the air. It landed with a satisfying crack in the skull of the next dead one.

            “Nah, I’m right where I’m supposed to be.” Daryl had a ghost of a grin on his face, he’d not been expecting that out of the girl. Before he could put more thought into it though he fired once more. “Jus’ cause you’re good at throwin’ a knife around don’ mean you can be out here on your own.”

            “If knife throwing was my only skill, I would not have made it long in this world even before _la montée des morts._ ” For a moment she considers going back and explaining in English, but finds it pointless.

            “Plenty of reasons a gal like yourself coulda survived that world.” The last one was nearly upon them though, as Marie watched her companion take aim again she was not expecting to have to worry. But when the creature suddenly sways when Daryl fires, she quickly realizes how much danger she has put him in. She knew there was no time for him to fire again, and could not risk him getting close enough to put the thing down with his own knife.

            Without hesitation she let go of the shoulder she had so desperately been clinging too, dropping to her knees. The white-hot pain was nothing compared to the fear for this stranger’s life. Quickly she grabbed hold of the walking stick that had been left lying on the ground, rolling towards the walker. As she lay on her back she struck upwards with the stick, driving its end into the jaw, penetrating rotting flesh and sending it straight into its brain.

            She had to catch her breath before she could manage to say. “Those reasons involved skills I was not interested in learning.”

* * *

 

_Present Day_

            “Looks like we got most of them.” Marie strolls into the store, carefully avoiding the corpses upon the ground. She grabs a shopping cart, watching Daryl when he carefully listens.

            “There’s one more in there, at least.” He lowers his crossbow, shoulders relax. “Don’ go wanderin’ too far.” Is what he mumbles when he notices Marie begin to stray from him.

            “Do not worry _mon loup cheri._ I am not going to abandon you.” She teases, before disappearing behind a shelf.

            Daryl continues to stalk the store, searching for any danger, intent on taking it down. Marie makes her way around as casually as a Sunday grocery store trip. She browses the aisles, grabbing what has not yet been snatched up yet. When he catches sight of her on the other side of a shelf or behind a display, Daryl finds his shoulders relax, and he stops to watch her graceful movements, mind caught up in how beautiful she is, but is quick to resume his sweep once she is out of sight again.

            It appears the store had remained more untouched than most places. If it is correct to assume that it was dilapidated before the apocalypse, scavengers may have assumed it had little to offer during the initial months of this wretched world’s creation. It is not entirely untouched, all the alcohol, the cigarettes, anything of vice, are long gone. It’s slim pickings for the necessity type things as well. But the store is not picked bare like many places. Soon Marie has a dozen or so dusty cans in her cart, a few small bags of raw rice, and a six pack of a formerly unpopular brand of soda. It’s not much, but when compared to nothing, it’s a feast. The food supply at the prison wouldn’t last forever, even with Hershel and Rick tending the fields for a garden there were still lean days ahead. Especially if they continued to take in other survivors. Therefore, Marie had insisted on overseeing food runs, she did not want to take the risk of her people becoming complacent in their lifestyle, expecting their stores of food to care for them forever.

            Daryl rounds a corner, he seems to be lost in thought, a dark and brooding expression on his face. But when he catches sight of Marie, light immediately comes to his eyes, and his lips twitch into a grin. There is a battered diaper bag slung over his shoulder, the other reason they had made sure to never slack on supplies. Little Judith still could not survive on anything other than formula, and soon they would need mushy foods full of vitamins to keep her growing. That’s not including all the other things necessary for taking care of a baby.

            “Did you find anything good?” She asks with a smile, seeing how the bag bulged. Her cart is abandoned for the moment as she approaches Daryl.

            “Few cans of formula, plenty a diapers.” Daryl rests a hand on her waist, the physical contact like a reassurance that she was real. “Yer right about us needing to switch her to the washable kind soon, these might be the last ones lef’ in the whole state of Georgia.”

            “That’s not even considering the fact that she most likely will not be the last infant the camp will have to care for.” Her voice is sad for a moment, but she quickly covers it up with a smile and a peck on Daryl’s cheek. “But I am sure that any babies that end up there will be the luckiest ones in this whole world for having you to protect them.”

            “You don’ mean that, only reason those kids are gunna become something is because they’ll have you watchin’ over them.” He is blushing, looking away from his girlfriend. He hated how easy it was for her to get him flustered, and loved it all the same. “We all… do need to think ‘bout that I guess, I mean, the way Glenn n’ Maggie go at it all the it won’ be long before we end up wid a little Rhee baby runnin’ about as well.”

            “Maybe not for a while, condoms are like currency to those two. I got Mag to take my guard shift the other night in exchange for a couple I keep stashed just for that.” Marie bit her lower lip and stepped back.

            “You have a stash a condoms for trading with them?” Daryl asked incredulously. It seemed rational when he thought about it, with her condition she would never need them. Although his math on that assumed that she would only ever be with his STD free ass.

            “How do you think I keep them so willing to do favors for me? They are not the only ones with a need as well. Like I said, they are currency.” She laughs, and begins to limp towards the pharmacy.

            “So does that make you the bank or some shit then?” Part of him was proud of her, finding her own little ways to work this crazy world around her fingers.

            “I do believe so.” Marie stops to think for a moment. “Which reminds me. Daryl, keep an eye on l'amant de Beth, that Zack boy. He came around asking about them yesterday, not for them, but about them.”

            He groans, but agrees. Playing big brother to Beth had become yet another important responsibility for him over the past months. Regardless of that, he could not deny Marie.


	2. Sunshine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A look various points in time of the development of Marie and Daryl's relationship. Also my philosophy on posting fanfiction, fuck editing, if something grammatical or what not is giving you a big issue tell me and i'll go back and fix it, but I"m not going to stress over every typo before posting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the past, Daryl and Marie discussed their outlooks to life in the terrifying new world. In present day, while on the supply run the two play secret agent.

_Greene Farm, many months ago._

            Locks of honey browned hair laid splayed across the grass, fresh green blades curled around them. Grass crunched under the footsteps of an approaching man, but the head that owned the hair did not move. Sparse freckled skin was warmed under the autumn sun, the faint tan tone glowing under its golden rays. A shadow was cast across the resting figure.

            “You can’t seriously be working on yer’ tan.” Daryl grumbled, staring down at her. He hadn’t been in quite a pleasant mood since the nastiness at the barn the other day.

            “It would be quite a terrible tan if I chose to stay out here for that long.” Marie’s arm was cast across her eyes. The other hand rest across her stomach, exposed by the shirt having been pushed up slightly. “I was simply trying to enjoy the sun, it is a nice day.” Her chest rose with a deep breath, and a smile came to her. “There are not many nice days left in this strange world.”

            “There ain’t any left.” Daryl took in the sight of the girl, wanting to be annoyed at her casual outlook on this life. “Everything is a shit storm and you’re always just sittin’ out here like it’s jus’ another day.” But he couldn’t be, rather he was concerned. That relaxed nature was a nice change from the constant fear and apprehension that surrounded his people, at times he’d see her calm smile and for a moment he felt that calm too. Still, this was the kind of attitude that got people killed, and he wasn’t going to let that happen. Not her.

            “You would be surprised _mon amie_. There are quite a few good days left if you just stop to see them.” She moved her arm away to look up at the man, exposing green eyes to the nice day. They sparkled, then widened as she took sight of the hunter standing above her. She felt her heart nearly leap into her throat as she saw the way the sun lit him.

            “Stoppin’ is what gets you killed, we have to keep movin’, else the rest of the world is going to catch up with you.”

            She was silent as she soaked him in the way she had soaked up the sun. It had occurred to her in the past that he was rather handsome, but had shoved those thoughts to the side in favor of keeping a clear head. But in this quiet moment she couldn’t find anything to think about other than getting lost in his steely blue eyes.

            “Sit with me…” She whispered, trying to pull her scrambling thoughts together. Marie would not deny that she had taken a kind of interest in the man, the kind where they had shared hobbies and habits. When he had been injured, and the two of them were stuck mostly immobile and recovering, they had exchanged snare knots and hunting stories.

            Daryl sighed, but didn’t argue, sitting beside her. He hadn’t come out here to argue with her about the type of days the universe had left for them. In fact, he wasn’t quite sure why he had.

            Marie closed her eyes again, allowing her momentary lapse to pass so she could resume her enjoyment of the sun. She’d rather relax than waste time dissecting the man’s appearance. “Look upwards.” Her mind wandered a bit, thinking upon the beauty of the day, thinking upon why she had come out to lay here. But her speaking was slow, each time she found the words she wanted to say, she had to find them again in English. “The sky, it is still blue. The sun, it is still yellow. The clouds, white? Am I correct?”

            “Well, yeah, course they are.” Daryl began to feel the gentle warmth of the sun.

            “The world has not changed so much as we have believed it to.” Marie felt like she was floating, the gentle breeze carrying her off. “The sun shines, the wind blows. The planet is still spinning? I suppose we have no way to prove that one.” Daryl remained silent, staring at a cloud as it drifted across the sky. “We all act like the world has ended, but that is so… how might you put it? Self-centered? The world goes on without human society.”

            “Maybe… but that don’ mean it’s safe.” He laid back, like her, watching the clouds. He entertained the thought that there was one that looked like a rabbit, another like a squirrel.

            “It was never safe.” She whispered. “Any day you could be hit by a bus, you could fall ill and die, you could become lost in the woods and never find your way out again.” Her small hand found Daryl’s, resting on top of it. He tensed, but did not pull away. Her hand was not as soft as he had once thought, it had many of the same callouses that his own did, and that was perfectly fine.

             “Certainly, this is the most danger we have been in since the days of early man. When there was the constant threat of being eaten by a saber-tooth, of freezing or starving to death. When we had little to protect us aside from our wits and sharpened sticks.” Marie opened her eyes again, turning her head to look at Daryl, who was still watching the clouds roll over them. A little way away, Lori could be heard calling for her son to not wander too far from her.

           “But still, those humans survived, and they lived, did they not? They made art, they raised young, they kept going no matter how hard things became.” It took an eternity for all these words to make their way out of her mind, but Daryl laid patiently and listened. “The world is dangerous, but it is still going. We, are still going. We will keep going, even if we… stop to smell the roses.”

           The hand under Marie’s slowly turns over so that they are palm-to-palm. His larger fingers intertwined with hers. There was a serenity in his heart that he had not felt since before all this, perhaps not even before the world went to shit. His head turned so he could look at her, blue eyes locking with green, and they are silent for a moment. Once again Marie finds herself studying his features. The way his dark hair glows in the light. The stubble on his chin. She memorizes the shapes in his face, the definition of his cheekbones, that mole above his lip. The last time she had taken an interest in the strength of somebody’s jaw was when she shattered one, and her hand, with a punch during a drunken argument. Now she finds herself carefully examine the way his jaw connects his ears to his chin, and the angular way the features all work together to create the man lying beside her.

           Finally, it is Daryl who breaks the silence between them. “Can’t say I completely agree with that kind of look on life, but if it’s what keeps you goin’ then I ain’t going to argue with you.” There was understanding in his eyes, Daryl had never been much of ‘stop and smell the roses’ kind of guy, but if it kept a smile on her face, kept her alive, then he wouldn’t stop her. One day he’ll find himself more willing to see things from her perspective, to stop and enjoy the view, but for now he’d settle for looking over his shoulder all the time. “You always think this way? Or was it just society goin’ to shit that inspired ya?”

           Marie laughed, her cheeks and nose scrunching up in a damn near adorable way when she did. “I did not think too much on it before, but…” She paused, eyes growing sad at memories in the back of her mind. “My mother, we never saw eye to eye, I was not really the listening kind of daughter, but there was one thing she said often that I always held to my heart. ‘ _Chaque jour est un cadeau de Dieu.’_ Every day is a gift from God.”

            “Didn’ take you for a religious type of gal.” Daryl grined.

            “I’m not, the day may not be from God, but it is a gift.” She held his hand tighter, it’s warmth a more comforting feeling than that of the sunshine.

            “Hey, it’s dinner time.” The two of them are caught off guard by Carol’s approaching voice. Marie pulled away from Daryl, not wanting to be caught in a situation they might have to explain themselves for. “What are you two doin’ working on your tan?” Despite the sadness that had become a constant in Carol’s voice since the loss of her daughter, she managed to make a light-hearted tone to the remark.

            Daryl cleared his throat and sat up, trying to convince himself he wasn’t disappointed at the way Marie pulled away from him. “Naw, just enjoying the sun.”

* * *

 

_Present Day_

            “Do you think Carol would like these?” Marie spins a dusty display of sunglasses sitting on the pharmacy counter.

            “Might.” Daryl puts the diaper bag of supplies into the shopping cart before making his way to her.

            Marie picks a pair off the display and wipes the dust from it. “She would look like a… a uhm… a badass! A total badass.” She grins and puts a pair on. “How do I look?”

            “Like some kind of secret agent.” He leans against the counter, smiling at her. “From those old spy movies.”

            Her face and nose scrunch up as she laughs, before taking on a fake seriousness. “Agent Laurent, super spy, badass extraordinaire.” She pulls her pistol from its holster, dramatically pointing it around and making ‘pew pew’ noises.

            “Here to take me into custody, are you? Well I won’ go down easy.” Daryl puts on his own fake serious face, standing up straighter.

            “No Mr. Dixon.” She holsters the gun, looking him in the eye, lowering the shades slightly for dramatic effect. “I am here to recruit you. The world needs your skills.”

            “Never, there is nuthin that could convince me to work with someone like you.” He jokes, eyes flitting towards a door in the back as it rattles.

            “Nothing? Are you sure about that _monsieur_?” She glances in the same direction, but doesn’t drop her act. Her hands raise, one resting on his chest, the other grabs his collar. “I have been told I am capable of being very persuasive.”

            Daryl leans down towards her, a mischievous look in his eyes, but his hand does move towards his crossbow, refusing to just ignore the moans from the other side of that door. “I’m not the kind of man who’s easily bought darlin’. You better have somethin’ good in mind.”

            Marie stands on her toes, bringing her face close to his. “Does my undying love sound good enough?” She whispers.

            The door bursts open, giving way to the walker that had been pushing against it. Without hesitation Daryl turns and raises his bow, putting a bolt right between its eyes. The thing gurgles, before falling over. He waits for anything else to emerge, and is satisfied when nothing does after a minute, turning back towards Marie. She has her pistol out and pointed in the same direction, but takes a minute longer to put it away and turn back. The fantasy seems to be broken, she begins to step away, only to be pulled back as Daryl slips an arm around her waist.

            “The heart of the most beautiful super spy in the whole world.” He mutters, enjoying the smile that comes to Marie’s lips. “Why that does sound like a good deal, where do I sign?”

            “The deal is sealed with a kiss.” She finds herself lost in Daryl’s steely eyes, overcome by the gentle look in them.

            His lips are warm, familiar, and safe when they press against hers. He tastes like the char of a woodfire cooked animal. Marie is tickled by the stubble, and finds herself giggling into the kiss. Her lips are soft against his chapped ones. Soon they find themselves lost in each other, arms holding one another close. She curls her fingers around the back of Daryl’s head, tangling them in his soft, if a bit greasy, locks of dark brown hair. He barely gives them time to breathe when they break from their hungry kisses before desperately diving back in for another, and soon Marie is lightheaded, which only strengthens her desire to be held by him.

            Finally, they break apart. Both of them lingering on the last kiss, before separating. Marie is overcome with emotions that she can’t quite control, words she can’t quite put to her mouth. Daryl is full of emotions that terrify him, and he can’t quite find words either, and his mind goes into overdrive when Marie finds her voice again.

            “I love you…”

            It was a word she had played with him before, but had never directly said. She had known for a long time that Daryl was one of the most important people she had ever met. Had known that she had wanted to spend the rest of her life by his side, however long that would be. But she had never faced that feeling until now, the importance of those words.

            “Aaaah…” Daryl can’t speak. He makes sounds as though he tries, but his mind is waging war between his feelings for her and his fear of his feelings for her. To say it out right would be to face the fact for himself, and if he accepted that he knew he would never be able to survive without her.

            Marie pulls away from him, face red. She was not quite upset that he did not return her words, but she did feel a pain in her heart. Things would be what they would be, as long as she had him in some way, that was enough for her.

            Plucking a pair of sunglasses off the display again she speaks. “Well Agent Dixon, if you are going to work alongside me you will need this.” He holds still while she puts them on him. She grabs another pair and shoves them in her jacket pocket. “Carol can be part of our spy team too,” When Daryl’s eyebrow raises she quickly backtracks. “She can get a different kind of initiation though!”

            He shakes his head, “All right then, now come on we should finish checkin’ this place out and get back.”

            “Right!” Marie puts on her ‘serious’ face again. “Quickly Agent Dixon, we must find the evidence, it must be back there!.” She tries to vault the pharmacy counter, a maneuver she could have pulled off before all this, but now her left leg can’t quite get the momentum, resulting in a pathetic roll and a sickening thump. “ _Merde…_ ”

            “Did you hurt yourself dumbass?” Before hopping over the counter himself Daryl takes the chance to silently laugh while she isn’t looking.

            “I am fine.” She rolls off her bad leg, grateful the injury doesn’t hurt as much as it used to. “ _Je suis seulement tombé._ ”

            “Yeah I saw that.” Once over the counter he kneels to help her up. Marie opens her mouth to question how he understood her, but assumes he had picked up a thing or two after being around her and her cousins for so long. “What did you go and do that for anyways?”

            “I just wanted to be ‘cool’.” She pouts, allowing him to help her to her feet.

            “Well yer cool enough without breaking yer good leg.”

* * *

 

_First Night at the Prison_

            Marie laid back in the grass, listening to the crackle of the campfire, watching the stars. It had been a hard winter, and she wished they found this place sooner, but they were there now, that was what mattered. She heard somebody rise and walk off, but ignores it, they probably had to take a piss or something.

            Her cousin, Carla Laurent, scooted closer to Marie. “(So I was thinking.)” She spoke to Marie in a private manner, using the Lousiana French she had grown up speaking, that Marie had been quick to pick up when she moved to their family’s old plantation. “(Now that we aren’t constantly on the run, maybe now is your chance to get with mister handsome brooding hunter.)”

            Marie’s cheeks flushed pink. “(No, he is my friend, I am not ruining that.)”

            “(You won’t ruin it.)” Carla giggled. “(He’s into you, and you’re into him. I’ve never seen you look at a guy the way you do him.)” She shrugged. “(I mean I just thought that if we’re settling down here, maybe you’d like somebody to settle down with.”)

            Across the fire, Carl Grimes looked to Marie’s older cousin. “What are they talking about?”

            “Hell if I know, I never really learned that Creole stuff.” Pierre watched the girls talk. It was only a partial lie, he did not know the entire context of the conversation, but the language was similar enough to his native French that he could tell it was not suitable for children. “Where are you going?” He rose his voice upon Marie standing and beginning to limp off.

            “To prove I am not a coward!” She exclaims, making her way towards the bus Daryl stands atop, on guard.

            It was a long walk for her, by the time she had reached the bus she had grown cold and lost most of the courage that drove her out there. She was just about to call out to the man when somebody else on the bus spoke.

            “Wanna screw around a little?”

            Marie’s heart immediately dropped into her stomach when she heard Carol. Since the farm she had seen something between her and Daryl, and had assumed they were beginning a relationship. But in the heat of the moment she had forgotten this.

            She became so wrapped in her own thoughts that she didn’t hear the rest of what was said, if anything was said. The girl felt terrible for thinking about coming on to Daryl when he was clearly so important to Carol. She was a close friend for Marie, the only other person aside from Daryl who would listen to her talk. The others of the group would cut her off because it took her so long to speak, and often avoided casual conversation as it was time consuming. Even her cousins insisted that she speak in her much faster French and allow them to translate.

            When she heard them moving to get down from the bus she limped off to the other side of it, hiding, not wanting to explain why she was out there.

            Carol had been so kind to her, how could she even consider coming between her and Daryl. Marie sunk to the ground, back against the cold metal, and pulled her knees to her chest, ignoring the pains of complaint in her left thigh.

            She went unnoticed in the dark as the two leave, and she tried not to think about where they might be going.

            But Marie could not stop the tears that rolled down her cheeks, and the ache in her chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pulled a line from the show, if ya'll don't remember there was a scene during the first night at the prison where Carol jokes with Daryl about them screwing around a little. That's what this is referencing, and how that joke would be taken out of context


	3. Jackpot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A look at Marie's daredevillish habits both before and after the outbreak. I'm trying to work on a balance between my character and Daryl, because I know you came here to read about Daryl and stuff but it's hard to find that balance when I want to develop this girl. Just tell me if you think I need to have stuff more focused on his perspective in future chapters or whatever. Because of the non-linear storytelling I can approach this stuff in whatever order I want, so if you want to see something specific, or need a break from something else, I can always focus on that in the next chapters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Daryl and Marie attempt a high stakes heist to get some supplies. In the past, she had a habit of dragging the group into games that would show them just how adventurous she tends to be.

_Present Day_

            “I call dibs on the narcotics!” Marie teases, limping towards the shelves of medication.

            “Better be sharin’ with me.” Daryl rolls his eyes and checks the surroundings. The door the walker came out of leads to an office. After making certain Marie is safe where she is, he begins to go through it, checking file cabinets and desk drawers for anything that might be hidden.

            “Ooo la la~” Marie calls out in a sing song voice. “Expired pseudoephedrine, a lot of it. If we could get a laboratory set up back home we could make some grade A methamphetamines.”

            “Knowin’ you and chemicals the prison would probably be blown sky high.” Daryl snickers, emptying the contents of a drawer of ammunition into his pockets. He’s never been much of a conversationalist, but could never help himself when it came to Marie’s sense of humor.

            She picks medications off the shelves, squinting at the labels. Most of them are unfamiliar to her, she recognized the one because her neighbor back in the day tried to sell her his home-made meth, before he blew his shed into the swamp. She tosses anything useful looking into a pile on the pharmacy counter.

            Daryl finishes his sweep of the office, finding little more than the ammunition and a few photos in a drawer that he wished he could bleach from his mind. There’s one more door left to investigate. Peering through the small square window on it revealed that it led out to the back of the shop.

            “Marie,” He gestures for her to come over, before pointing through the window. Past at least half a dozen walkers is a unlabeled box truck that looked like it would have been used for delivering stock. “What do you think?”

            “Dangerous.” She grabs Daryl’s arm. “There are too many of them to take the risk on our own. We can come back later with Rick and Glenn.”

            “That don’ sound like you.” He sees the excitement in her eyes. “I’d think you’d wanna go chargin’ in and come home a hero.”

            “I do want to do that. But to put your life in danger over it, is not worth the risk.” Marie is staring through the window, it is enticing, but to get Daryl through that mess would be nearly impossible, and she couldn’t drive a truck like that. But what an adventurous tale they would have upon returning with the bounty.

            “The day has come where yer bein’ the rational one.” He nods, but still thinks about it. “Go back to the car, take everythin’ with you, then lay on the horn, draw the walkers away an’ I can get out to the truck.”

            “You are crazy, we do not even know if there is anything in that truck worth taking that kind of risk.” She has a small grin, they aren’t leaving here without that bounty.

* * *

 

_A night around the campfire_

            The kids had long since gone to sleep, a few of the group had found themselves locked into a game of two truths and a lie. A few of the newcomers, Rick, Glenn, Maggie, Merle had dragged Daryl in, an Marie was the one who started the whole thing.

            “You are all so dull.” Marie laughs, lounging in the grass. “Why can you not pick more exciting tales to tell?” She looked down into the bottle of warm, old beer she was half way through. Swig for every time you guessed wrong, swig for every time all the others guess yours correctly. That was the game she had put onto them. Not the first time she had, these were her favorite type of games.

            “Fine, fine, fine.” Merle sat up, clinking his bottle against his metal arm attachment. “I got some fer you pansies.” There was a collective groan from the group. “Two truths an’ one lie; how’s this sound. I once slept next to a hibernatin’ bear. I can do a handstand fer ten straight minutes. Aaaaaan’, hmmm oh yeah baby bro over there is a virgin.”

            “What the hell man! Don’ drag me into your shitty lies.” Daryl threw a rock over the camp fire at his older brother, face turning red as beet, luckily it was hard to tell in the night.

            “Well as much as I hate to insult Daryl’s dignity I don’ see you being able to do a handstand for ten minutes, not with that anyways.” Rick gestured towards Merle’s self-made prothesis.

            “No, I bet he’s got some way, but there’s no chance in hell he ever slept next to a hibernating bear.” Glenn shook his head in disbelief. With each answer from the group Daryl’s grew more and more sullen. Marie glanced over at him, feeling a little bad.

            Soon she was the only one left to decide which was the lie. By that point the man was refusing to look at anybody, but he tentatively glanced at her. They hadn’t spoken much since they got into the prison, Marie had taken to avoiding him since the conversation she had overheard that first night. So, Daryl didn’t have much hope for her to attempt to rescue his dignity.

            “I am able to believe a lot of absurd things, I mean, the dead are getting up and walking around, so I would say that the impossible has become possible as of late.” She grinned at Daryl, who was watching her cautiously. “But there is no way in hell that Daryl Dixon is a virgin.” She had no evidence to prove so. She had seen him go off with Carol that night, but Merle wouldn’t know about that. Yet she spoke with confidence

            “Bingo!” Merle raises his drink, “Everybody but Frenchie takes a drink.”

            “No way!”

            “You’re shitting us?”

            “You know I bet none of those are true.” Maggie said after her sip. “I mean it’s not like you can prove that you slept next to a bear.”

            “I can vouch for him.” Daryl muttered. “Granted it was just a cub, dared him to.”

            “I’ll prove it to ya’ll right now that I can do the handstand.” Merle began to stand.

            “We’ll just take you at your word man, last thing we need is you getting a concussion.”

            “Alrighty then, I do believe it is Miss. Marie’s turn to reveal her dirty little secrets to us.” The man leaned towards Marie, who rolled her eyes and pushed him away.

            She cleared who throat, and waited for silence to fall amongst the group. Then she becan to speak in her slow manner, but with an added dramatic touch. “Two truths and one lie. I once wrestled a gator.” She paused, allowing that to sink in. “I once had a foursome with strangers.” Somebody let out a low whistle, and there was a bit of laughter amongst all of them. “And, I once cut off a man’s penis and threw it into the swamp.”

            All the men instinctively reached for the crotches, wincing at the image she had just placed into their heads. The two sitting on either side of her, Merle and Glenn, made it a point to scoot away from her. Daryl just stared wide eyed at the woman, doubting that any of those could be true, but certain that she would not break the rules of her own game.

            “God damn Marie… do you always have to one up everybody?”

            “How in the hell would you have…”

            “Remind me never to cross you…”

            There were a few minutes of debate amongst the group, before Maggie spoke up. “I don’t believe you’ve wrestled a gator, you may be tough but there’s just no way.”

            “Naw, I can see her taking on a baby gator or something.” Merle chimed in. “And knowing the type of people you come from, I wouldn’t put it past you to have done some freaky sex things. But I can’t see you having enough of a mean spirit to chop a man’s dick off.”

            “Agreed.”

            “I’m with Maggie.”

            “No way she wrestled a gator.”

            “I think she could have, but cutting a man’s dick off, that just sounds like a story she’d make up.”

            Marie smirked all the while. Eventually her gaze slid over to Daryl, and her cheeks heated up at the way he looked at her. His chin rested the palm of his hand, the tip of his pinky pressed against his lips, biting down on the nail. There was dark curiosity in his eyes.

            “I think the lie is the foursome.” He broke the chatter of the others with the sureness of his answer. “I know you done a lot of crazy stuff, but I don’t see sleepin’ with strangers bein’ somethin’ you’d do. I mean, you’ve probably done weird stuff with people you DO know, but strangers, nah.”

            The way he said it, with interest, with desire, made Marie’s heart race. “Everybody but Daryl can go ahead and drink…” She whispers, trying to not get sucked into those steely eyes.

            Daryl realized how he was looking at her, and quickly turned away, trying to hide what he had been thinking about. He thought little about those kinds of things, had rarely felt the desire. Merle’s lie about him was very nearly true, but when he was younger Daryl had felt like he had to prove to his brother that he was a man, so it wasn’t uncommon to find himself in a woman’s bed just to show Merle that he didn’t need ‘help’ in that department. But admittedly there had been occasion where Marie stirred feelings inside the loner that he was not accustomed to. The more he got to know her and her strange approach to life, the more often he found those feelings coming to the surface.

            Marie stood, dusting the dirt off the seat of her pants. “It is time for me to head to bed.”

            Glenn protested. “You can’t just leave, you have to tell us about the gator…and the man… I mean why did you…”

            “Because I could.” She replied with a wink.

* * *

 

_Present Day_

            Marie is hesitant, terrifying that something might happen to Daryl if they go through with this plan. But it was too late to go back now. She hits the horn of the car, allowing it to blare for an extended period. After a moment a few walkers wander out of the trees of the nearby woods, and after a minute several stumble around from the side of the building. All make their way towards the car, she taps the gas to start moving away from them.

            Each passing moment her heart races faster. Where is Daryl? Had something happened to him? The walkers press against her car, dragging rotten fingers across the windows, peering in, searching for their prey. There were not so many that she could not just drive off and away, but she couldn’t leave until she was sure the man was safe.

            Suddenly the sound of another horn fills the air, alongside a revving engine. Marie goes cold with fear and panic. But soon all her worries are soothed as the truck comes barreling around the corner of the store, honking the whole way.

            “Nice job _mon loup cherie_.” She nods in satisfaction, letting go of her own horn before hitting the gas. The dead ones are left in their dust, slowly wandering after them as a group, with no chance of catching up.

            Marie checks her rearview mirror, see’s Daryl in the driver’s seat of the truck with a playful smile. They continue down the road until they’re nearly to the prison, but before reaching it Marie pulls her vehicle off to the side of the road. The truck parks just behind her.

            She is quick to exit, and hobble towards Daryl as he jumps out.

“What’s wrong?” He wraps his arms around her as she practically falls into him. Squeezing her eyes shut and trying not to cry.

“I do not ever want to do something like that again.” Her voice shakes. “Next time we are doing it the safe way. I was… I was scared.”

“You had nothin’ to be afraid of Marie, I’m fine. See?” Daryl takes her by the shoulders and stands her back so she can look at him, while he looks down with a gentle look in his blue eyes. “I thought you loved danger and adventure?”

“I do…” She wiped away the tear that had managed to escape and start rolling down her cheek. “But not when you are the one in danger, I cannot lose you, I cannot I cannot I cannot.” She shakes her head desperately, heart still pounding, palms sweaty.

“Then I guess we aren’t doin’ that again.” He kisses her forehead, trying to wrap his own head around the thought of how much he meant to her that she would act like this. “Let’s see what we got alright?” He guides Marie towards the back of the truck, having not gotten to look at its contents.

“This had better have been worth it.” She mumbles, leaning on him.

What greets their eyes when the metal doors swing open causes them both to gasp audibly. Boxes of canned good stacked to the ceiling of the truck, some tipped over from their erratic escape driving. There seem to be cases of assorted junk foods, mostly likely expired, and in the back, it appears there might be a case or two of liquor.

“Worth it?”

“Hell yeah.”


	4. Sweet Child

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spending time with Judith

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First major canon divergence, Merle lives. I will go into better detail about it later, but effectively the Governor captured and tortured him instead of killing him, so he was retrieved from the torture chambers when they found Andrea and Milton in Woodbury.

_Present Day_

           While Daryl and Rick worked to unload the truck of goodies that had been brought back, Marie limps towards the cell block. She is greeted by exactly who she is looking for; Carol holding a little Judith bundle.

            “Welcome back.” Carol smiles. Over time the two of them had become rather close. It is especially because Carol cares so deeply for Daryl, and enjoys how happy she makes their friend. “Saw the car coming, had a feeling you would want to see her.” Marie guides Carol to her own cell.

            “You know me very well Carol.” Marie reaches for the infant as she sits on her bed. There was something about the little girl that brought her comfort. When the anxieties of the world began to pull her apart, this little bundle of hope helped her hold it together just a little bit longer. “How is _ma lapin_?” She coos the last part.

            “Fussy.” Carol says this just as Judith lets out a small screech, a tiny fist flailing. “I’ll go make a bottle for her… you good on your own?”

            Marie hesitates, having little faith in herself to handle being alone. “I suppose, just be quick, please.” Judith whines and squirms in Marie’s arms, so she tries to hold her more securely, lest the child fall. This only results in more fist waving and screeching, the infant’s face beginning to turn red. She tries to rock the child to soothe it, but it is a vain attempt. Soon she is in full blown screams, and Marie has lost all hope at calming her. The woman rocks back and forth while tiny fists pound on her chest, just trying to figure it out. “Your bottle is coming, do not worry little one. Please stop crying.”

            “Jesus is there a dyin’ cat in ‘ere?” Daryl pushes the curtain to Marie’s cell aside, the time it took her to limp up to the cell block was more than enough for him to unload the truck.

            “I do not know what I did wrong!” She looks up with a pleading face.

            “Didn’ do nothin’ wrong.” He sits beside Marie, arms out offering to take the screaming infant. “She’s jus’ hungry.” Despite how much she wants to hold the child herself, Marie transfers Judith into his arms.

            “Are you sure…? She always cries when I hold her.” She leans back to watch how Daryl holds the baby. He rests her little head against his chest, palm holding it there while his thumb strokes the downy hairs on her head. Judith’s screams lower to a pathetic whining as Daryl rocks back and forth.

            “Well… she likes me more than most, don’ go getting offended.” He quickly says, to defend himself against Marie’s scrunching eyebrows and pouted lips.

            “That is true,” Carol says upon entering, a bottle in one hand, the other covering her mouth to hide her smile. “I think only Beth can calm her down as quickly as he can.”

            Daryl takes the bottle and adjusts Judith’s position so he can feed her. She latches onto the bottle like it’s the only thing that will keep her alive, and the cell goes silent at last, save the sound of her suckling.

            Marie watches wide eyed. Her stomach full of butterflies, heart filled with cotton candy. Her eyes are glued to little Judith’s tiny face, as the baby’s own eyes stare wide and beautiful up at Daryl. His soft smile is an expression unlike any he’d let the rest of the group see. There is a noise in the air, and it takes a moment for Marie to realize that he is humming a tune she doesn’t recognize.

            You couldn’t even recognize the hunter now if you compared him to the way he behaves normally. All the sharp edges and steel walls were gone. Leaving him soft and exposed, something Marie had never expected to see, but had always known was there. She never tried to draw it out, but had at least once wondered if he would ever let himself be so open and vulnerable to her.

            She rests a hand on Daryl’s knee as she leans in closer. Judith’s wide eyes are sucking her in, making her feel the same kind of gooey puppy love that the man was feeling. He glances up at her, before shifting his position so that the child was closer, half turned towards Marie.

            They stay like this for an eternity, then eternity is interrupted. “Well, well, well, look at you two.” Merle had been watching from the space between the curtain and doorway, before making his grand entrance. At some point Carol had disappeared to allow the two privacy. “Got the family act all down pat don’ ya.” He smirks, crossing the cell and sitting in a wooden chair Marie keeps in the corner. The two are silent in their embarrassment, Marie’s keeps her gaze down at the baby, Daryl looks up and glares at his brother. Merle rubs his chin in a ‘thoughtful’ manner. “So when you two going to make yer’ own?” He teases.

            Marie’s shoulders tense up, and she bites her lip.

            “Don’ go there Merle.” Daryl half growls a warning, sensing Marie’s reaction.

            “What? I know you two are all private and stuff about yer’ shit, but I jus’ was wonderin’ if when I’ll get to start bein’ called uncle.” Merle laughs, oblivious to the Marie’s hurt expression. “Although I guess you two would have to get down to doin’ the no pants dance before that can happen.”

            “That’s none of yer business.” There is a pink flush to Daryl’s cheeks. Judith releases the bottle, and gurgles in satisfaction.

            “Ey’ I’m just sayin’! With all the time you spend together, specially all that… alone time… out on runs I’d think you would have done…somethin’ by now.” Merle continues to push, seeming to enjoy the uncomfortable atmosphere he’s created.

            “How do you know we have not.” Marie whispers, glancing up at the older man. “You do not see us when…”

            “Trust me Frenchie.” Merle cuts her off, looking Daryl up and down. “I’d know if you two were fuckin’, people aren’t as good at hidin’ that kind of thing as they think they are.”

            “Why does it matter if we do or not…? As long as we…” Marie tries to defend herself, she hates to be so cowardly in front of these two, but Merle had touched upon a very sore spot, and she was struggling to recover.

            Merle cuts her off again. “Cause I wanna make sure the Dixon line has an heir.” He couldn’t really give two rats asses about the Dixon line, he wants this relationship to last for his baby brother, the girl made him happy in a way he had never seen before.

            “Drop it…” Daryl begins to speak against his brother, but is cut off.

            “You will get an heir when you or Daryl have a relationship with a woman with a functioning reproductive system!” There are hot tears in Marie’s eyes. “Given the shortage of romantic options in this world, I do believe it will take nothing short of a miricle for a Dixon baby to end up running around.”

            Both men are silent after her outburst, Judith whines. Daryl must shift the baby’s position so that he can rub her back, trying to burp her. She had confided this to Daryl one night a long time ago, but neither of them really had the guts nor desire to discuss it.

            “Shit…” Merle is the first to speak. “I didn’ know… I was jus’ teasin’ ya.” His tone seems genuinely apologetic. He watches his brother’s girlfriend fight back tears with a pit of guilt forming in his stomach.

            Daryl doesn’t know what to say, his urge is to go after his brother for causing Marie pain, but he realizes that he needs to help her. “Marie…here…” He moves to guide Judith into her arms, showing her how to hold the infant for burping. She is quiet, her heartrate calming as the child enters her arms. Judith’s happy little sounds bring a smile to her lips, and she holds the bundle close.

            “There’s nuthin wrong with it.” Merle begins to try and fix the situation, although he isn’t quite sure how, repairing emotional damage is not something he is very good with, he’s much better at causing it. “As long as you two are happy together and what not I mean that’s really what matters, I’m sure you’ll figure somethin’ out an what not…”

            “Shut up Merle.” There is an unusual venom in Daryl’s voice. He knows that Marie just wants to forget, and every time Merle brings it up he can feel her body tense up. He was unsure why it affected her so much, this condition, all he knew was that it hurt her, so he didn’t talk about it.

            The entire scene is interrupted by the sound of Judith vomiting.

            Marie freezes.

            Daryl freezes.

            Merle laughs.

            “Well… I am going to say that she really does hate me… and I am going to go take a shower…” Marie mutters, holding Judith away from her. The entire front of her shirt is covered in white baby puke. Daryl takes the child, not even sure what to say at this point, finding it better to just let her go.

            Marie stands, grabbing a towel and a spare set of clothes from her stuff, and half runs out of the cell, leaving the two brothers alone with the baby.


	5. Oh Brother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, Merle lived? But sometimes it seems like it would have been better if he hadn’t. Finally watched Guardian of the Galaxy Vol 2, seeing Michael Rooker playing Yondu got me feeling like writing some more of how Merle interreacts with his brother’s girl, and some of his antics that ensue. Also a heads up, was drinking while I wrote this chapter, re-reading it I realize that I have more errors than I thought, especially when it comes to making Marie's speech pattern, so if you see a contraction just assume she said it the wya she normally would, don't as do not, and such, if it's a big deal to anybody I'll go back and fix it when I"m sober.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For reference, I've extended the time-frame between the Governor disappearing and his final attack on the prison to be a year in length. The 'present day' timeline takes place about 3-4 months after the Governor disappears, and extends from there. If you find issues understanding the timeline, or it seems I've made a mistake in referencing order of events please tell me, sometimes I change the time point of a flashback mid draft and don't change all the appropriate references. Still would love to hear what kind of scenes you guys would be interested in seeing in the future.

_Several Weeks after the Governor vanished, several weeks before present._

            Marie was out in the woods, checking her traps. Some were for animals, others had a more sinister purpose. She knew that there was a chance of their enemies trying to scout them out from the privacy of the woods, from the trees they could even mount an attack against the prison. They weren’t too fancy, she didn’t have much in terms of materials, but she made do.

            For what she had managed to make, it was mostly walkers that were caught, and a few squirrels. There was always an overabundance of squirrels.

            “Have to admit, some of these are pretty clever.” Merle said, examining the barbwire hidden amongst the cover of the leaves.

            “They are not anything special, now if you could see my traps back when I was hunting in Lousiana you would…” Marie was clearing walkers caught by the wire, getting behind them and putting a blade clean through their skull, then leaving them for Merle to drag out of the way. Each knife through rotted skull was a satisfying feeling, easing some of the tension that had been building in her chest recently.

            “You always go talking about yer’ trappin’ days down in the swamps, but what do you even catch down there?” Merle interrupts, he didn’t have time to listen to her long-winded way of speaking.

            Marie sneered at him, regretting her choice to bring him along, and feeling a hint of red behind her eyes. Daryl was on a run, Glenn was in the tower with Maggie, Rick hasn’t left the fences since they started the farm, and Carol was tending to Judith. She would have asked Michonne, but she was out searching for the Governor, hadn’t been back for a few days.

            “Deer, turtle, but mostly gators.” She took down another walker, the blade sliding into the rotting skin and weak bone with a sickening sound. She stopped for a moment to relish the sight of the dead having fallen by her blade.

            “Gators? Really now?” Merle laughed in disbelief. “Sorry little lady but I’m gunna have to call bullshit on that one.”

            “I know it may seem hard to believe.” Marie began to recover the wires, making sure the whole place looked natural. “But it is not as though making a trap for them is hard, in fact with so many of them lurking around it was rather easy.” Once she was satisfied she began to lead Merle towards the next area.

            “Why did you even want to catch ‘em?” Merle mused. “Weren’t you livin’ on some fancy old estate of yer’ family’s, not like you needed to catch supper.”

            Marie guided him around her punji holes, none of them were quite deep enough to cause massive damage, but like the barbed wire would slow down the walkers and any intruders. “Nine months out of the year I lived in shack thirty miles from the main estate, Pierre and I built it and expanded it until after a decade it could nearly….”

            “…Why?!” Merle seemed frustrated, every time he asked this gal a question she pulled something out of her ass that just doesn’t seem true, and expects him to believe it. “If you’ve got yerself a fancy ass place to live what would drive you to go live out in the fuckin’ swamp?”

            The girl is silent for many minutes, trying to figure out how to put her words into a way that the man would understand. With all the thoughts swimming around her head sometimes it was difficult to pick out the right thoughts and translate them. There are a few pits she must cover over again, and a couple walkers to have Merle drag away. The silence between them is irritating.

            “Got nuthin’ to say to that then? Guess I was right you really are full of bullshit.” Merle said nearly an hour later when they turned back towards the prison.

            “I have many things to say, but would you understand me? _J'ai vécu pour être moi-même. J'ai vécu pour me trouver. J'ai vécu pour apprécier être moi._ ” She leaned against a tree, her bad leg aching after their long walk.

            “Don’ go throwin’ that French shit in my face, I know yer English is good,” Merle rolled his eyes

            “But would you understand even then.” She spat at him. She had spent so long defending her choices to the people around her, to her family, to what few friends she had, with the end of the world she thought maybe she’d be free of explaining.

            “Maybe, wouldn’ know unless ya tried me.” He continued walking on ahead, ready to leave her behind if she did not keep up.

            “Why would you even care why I did things before all of this, as if it affects you?” She didn’t move from her spot. The muscles in her leg burned where it had been torn apart.

            “It most certainly does! I have the right to know what kinda gal my brother is getting involved with.” Merle looked back at her, but did not stop walking. “Need to make sure yer good enough for him.” Merle only gave a shit about two things in life, himself, and his baby brother. The latter having always taken priority. He didn’t care how anybody looked at him, and he certainly didn’t give a shit about what anybody thought about him. But if Daryl was going to get himself tangled up with some girl, then that girl damn well better meet certain standards.

            “He is ‘getting involved with’ a woman who knows who she wants to be, and what she wants to do.” Marie hissed when she tried to put weight on the leg again, Hershel had told her time and time again to let it rest or the pain would never stop, but she kept going and busting open old and new wounds. The deep green of her pants began to be damped at the thigh, brown-red seeping through.

            It’s been a year and a half since the fight that caused her injury, but the state of their lives, always on the run, and her own refusal to take it easy, have consistently caused the bullet wounds to open and bleed. Leaving her with a half-healed leg.

            Merle was still going without looking forward, his pace had slowed down to at least give her a chance to catch up. “But who do you want to be girlie? That’s the question!”

            Marie looked up at him, about to snap at him again, her eyes widened in shock and concern though. “ _Les morts ambulants! Les morts ambulants!_ ” She cried out. Trying to signal danger to him, slipping up in her panic. “WALKER!” She finally managed to get out, just as the undead came upon Merle, who really should have been watching where he was going.

            “What the hell you scre- HEY WHOA.”  The thing had come from around a tree, and with the man not watching where he was going it had made its first lunge before Merle could properly defend himself. Luckily when he raised his arms it was the metal fake that the walker bit down upon. But the force knocked him to the ground, walker falling on-top of him.

            Marie looked on, a feeling of helplessness filling her gut. But she refused to be helpless, it takes only thirty seconds for her to come back to her senses. First, she reached for her gun, but she did not have a silencer, and could not risk drawing more of the undead. And although she was a good shot, she did not trust her aim enough at that distance, not with Merle struggling against the thing. The distance was what always proved to be a challenge for Marie, since her injury she became limited in any form of combat sense.

            Seventy-Five seconds since he fell is how long it took the adrenaline to kick in. The moment it did Marie took off in a full sprint, pain gone, limp gone. Her body was being pushed to its limit for one purpose, protect. She did what any insane person would do, and she tackled the walker, it’s stinking flesh schlepping from muscle with the force of her grabbing it.  She had it pinned to the ground next to Merle, the thing still growled and snapped in his direction, focused on its prey, one arm struggling still to grab him.

            Merle rolled away from the two, quickly leapt to his feet and turned ready to finish the walker off. Marie barely had the strength to hold it down, but it’s just enough for one hand to flash towards a rock laying inches away, and with a mighty swing she brought it down onto the rotting skull, before Merle had the chance to assist.

            Sickening crunch. That’s the only way to describe it. A sickening crunch as rock meets weakened bone and breaks through to reanimated brain cells. The dead one releases one last moan before it is silent.

            Inarticulate screams. That was the only thing that came from Marie’s mouth. A guttural, angry, terrified screaming as she raised her arm and swung again.

            Another crunch, followed by a wet sound as the rock turns brain to goo. Another swing, and another, and another.

            The rock’s sharp edges are painted red. Marie’s cheeks are flushed red. All the pain in her leg, all the anger and disappointment and agony she had endured over the last two years, the memories of Carla’s lifeless eyes fuel swing after swing after swing.

            She hadn’t chosen Merle to come out here because he was the only one left. She hadn’t decided to clear the walkers today because it might reveal their traps. There was nobody left to fall into them. She came out here because that morning she had woken up and realized she was at her breaking point. She chose him because she knew he was the only one who would understand, who wouldn’t judge her.

            And Merle stood there, watching. For thirty minutes he stood there are watched her beat away at a corpse, screaming. He occasionally moved to take down any walkers that were drawn by that noise, but otherwise was motionless as he watched. Her screams had no words, no meaning, but he knew exactly what she was saying, there was no language barrier here.

            Finally, Marie rolled off the walker, laying limp in the dead leaves beside the pile of goo. She was light headed, out of breath, physically exhausted, and losing blood. Merle soon came into her line of sight, looking down on her with an intrigued grin.

            “Feelin’ better now sweetheart.” He teased, looking her over. Her entire left pant leg was soaking in blood from her reopened wounds.

            “If you had the choice, where would you go?” She rasped out more quickly than usual, a heavier accent on each syllable.

            “Go where?” Merle squatted beside her, trying to figure out how he was going to get her back to camp.

            She had to suck in a few more breaths of air before she could speak again. “The shack, or the estate?”

            Merle pondered it for a moment, before saying with a definitiveness. “The shack. I don’ belong in some fancy ass place full of fancy as people.”

            Marie forced a smirk. “Neither did I.”

_Present Day_

            “Maggie, Glenn, you two decent?” Daryl stands on the outer side of the curtain to their cell, still gently cradling Judith, who promptly fell asleep after spitting-up on Marie.

            “What?” Comes a surprised Glenn, followed by the crash of a skull hitting top bunk and a yelp, and a thud.

            Maggie’s lighthearted giggle follows. “Year we’re decent, come on in.”

            Daryl pushes the sheet out of the way, it flutters in the draft before settling again. Glenn sits on the floor, holding his head. Maggie is on the bottom bunk, trying to restrain a laugh.

            “Oh, you brought us a visitor!” She says with a gasp, standing up.

            “Needed to talk to ya bout somethin’.” Daryl tries to pass Judith into Maggie’s waiting arms, but the infant is quick to start whining at being taken from him.

            “Guess she’s got her favorite picked out, huh?” Maggie pouts, leaning against the cell wall and watching Judith’s half-asleep face.

            “So, what can we do for you?” Glenn stands, still rubbing his head.

            Daryl shifts Judit into one arm so she can reach into his pocket. “Heard you two are in the business of tradin’ condoms for shit.” He pulls out a handful, only half the box that he had grabbed at the store, the rest stashed away somewhere…safe.

            Glenn’s face turns a shade of red Daryl’s never seen before, and Maggie is sent into a new fit of giggles.

            “I mean… I mean yeah we kinda are but…” Glenn glances at the curtain as if somebody might walk in at any moment. “just… okay uhm what do you need.” Maggie is laughing too hard to respond.

            “I need to…” Daryl hesitates, taking a moment to collect himself. “I need the tower fer’ a night.”

            Maggie stops laughing abruptly, her eyes wide, and a knowing smile on her face. “You finely planning on doing somethin’ bout that sexual tension between you and Marie?” She clasps her hands together, almost giddy. “You don’ have to pay us in condoms to get a night in the tower, it’s not like we’re always there.”

            Glenn runs a hand through his hair, blush fading. “I mean she has a point, but if your offering we’ll take them anyways.”

            “It’s not like that!” Daryl half snaps at Maggie, his own cheeks taking a redder tone. He’s flustered now, not being great at words or emotions and unsure how to approach this situation without completely embarrassing himself. “I know we could take the tower any time I wanted but… but it’s like every five minutes somebody is botherin’ us about somethin’ or other, Merle would be on us to mess with us if he had any idea.” Judith yawns in his arms, and turns to nuzzle her face into Daryl’s chest. “An’ when we’re out there…there’s a walker on us every five minutes…we can’t get a lick of privacy.”

            “I mean for some people five minutes is enough.” Maggie teases, getting a sharp glare for Daryl.

            “Told ya it’s not like that!” He sighs, looking at Glenn before he says something to her that he regrets. “I wanna… talk with her… you know how she is, she has shit to say but it takes ‘er a while. And notbody gives her the damn time to talk but I happen to like listening to her.” He squeezes his eyes shut, wondering if this is how Marie feels when she’s trying to talk, struggling to get the thoughts across. “I jus’ wan’ some damn time with her that isn’t being interrupted all the time. So, I wan’ you to take these, and make sure that nobody comes along to bother us.”

            Glenn pauses, then nods in understanding. “I get that… don’t worry nobody is going to bother you, they’ll have to get through me first.”

            “And me.” Maggie’s smile is softer now. She appreciates that Daryl is going out of his comfort zone to do something for his girlfriend. She thinks it’s romantic. “But you two have to do the do some time you know? Everybody’s got bets on when you’re finally gunna break.”

            Daryl’s face turns even redder, and he opens his mouth to snap again but is interrupted.

            “MERLE DIXON.”   So that’s what Dixon sounds like with a heavy French accent. “IF YOU THINK THAT I WILL NOT RUN NAKED ACROSS D BLOCK TO CATCH YOU THEN YOU ARE WRONG, RETURN MY CLOTHES AT ONCE.”

            “MAKE ME FRENCHIE!” A large shadow passes the curtain of the cell at full sprint.

            “The hell?” Glenn moves and pushes the curtain aside to see what’s going on. Another figure passes at a slower, but still surprisingly quick pace. Daryl can’t quite see past Glenn, not that he’s sure if he wants to. Glenn turns back towards them, face red once again. “So… Marie’s streaking.”

            Daryl’s eyes go wide, trying to process what Glenn just said.

            “Daryl… that’s your cue to go deal with this.” Maggie says with shock.

            He stands there for another second, before unceremoniously shoving Judith into Glenn’s arms and taking off sprinting.

            “I…shit… what should I…?” Glenn stammers and looks at Maggie while Judith awakens and begins to wail.

            “What are you askin’ me?” Maggie begins to take Judith.

            “I’m asking my wife if it’s okay if I deal with the naked chick running across the prison chasing a psychopath.” Glenn realizes that’s the strangest sentence he has ever uttered.

            “Go!” Is all she must say, and Glenn starts out at a sprint as well.

            Far ahead of them, adrenaline is coursing through Marie’s veins. At every turn she stumbles when her leg restricts her, and the stairs are tricky to handle. She is met by shocked stares and confused shouts as she makes her way across the prison. But Merle is ever farther and farther away, far too fast for her.

            Soon she finds herself half tripping out the door, out of breath but still going as Merle runs across the yard so far ahead he looks barely an inch tall. The fresh air is cool against her still wet skin, and the breeze around her more sensitive parts is an awkward feeling. But still she pushes on, taking her body and busted leg to its limit as she continues her chase.

            She passes Rick, Carl, and Hershel in the garden just as Merle reaches the fence, but he’s not done yet. With a shout of victory, he hurls her bundle of clothes over the fence, and they float down, landing on the swarm of walkers on the other side.

            “THAT WAS MY FAVORITE SHIRT YOU _FILS DE PUTE!_ ” Marie finally comes to a halt, bending over, hands on knees, sides and legs on fire.

            “Well now it belongs to the dead ones sweetheart, less’ you wanna go out there an get it.” Merle turns towards her, relishing in the sight of the girl.

            “What is going on here?!” Ricks makes his way to them, careful to keep his eyes averted. Hershel and Carl stand back, unsure what to do.

            Marie is too out of breath to speak, she gasps for air, and cusses in French between breaths.

            Before either of them can answer, Daryl barrels past Rick then Marie and towards Merle. On his approach he had a lot of things on his mind, Marie exacerbating her leg, Marie getting hurt, Marie’s dignity being soiled, and most importantly, how the perverted look his brother was giving his girl made his blood boil like nothing else ever had. He shouts as he tackles Merle to the ground, giving him a solid punch, and the two begin to fight.

            While the roll about on the ground, Daryl shouting insults at his brother and Merle responding with laughter, Glenn finished his sprint to the group.

            “Are you alright Marie?” He asks after catching his own breath, looking up towards the sky.

            “I’m fine.” She hisses, standing straight again, hands on her hips, glaring at the men as they fought. Then she turns to Glenn and Rick. “Shirt.” They blink at her in confusion. “Shirt.” She says with a little more force.

            “Shit.”

            “Right.”

            The two quickly scramble to get their shirts off. Marie stood as though her nakedness didn’t bother her, she was completely unfazed by her nudity, only angry at Merle for putting her in a situation where it was necessary. She snatches Glenn’s shirt first, and smoothly puts it on, then grabs Rick’s and ties it around her waist to cover her lower half better.

            “Go break those two up Sherriff…” Marie’s voice is cold. But with the fade of adrenaline the pain in her leg is coming back to her. She looks down and sees the blood that has begun to flow from puckered wounds, the stiches broken again. “ _Merde…_ ”

            “Did you have fun?” Hershel hobbles towards them, not quite pleased. “Get to show off yer body to these people and ruin yer leg again. You really have no shame.” Rick and Glenn both go to pull the brothers apart. Hershel glares at Marie. Carl approaches as well.

            “I did what I had to, if I had allowed Merle to run off with my clothes he would have shamed me into seeking help from whoever happened across me. So, I chose to take it into my own hands.” She is gasping for air still, slowing her speech even more than usual. “It was necessary I…”

            Hershel cuts her off. “I don’t see how it’s necessary to shamelessly expose yourself for the entire group!”

            “You really are old-fashioned, are you not?” Marie manages to smile. “If they chose to look that was up to them, I did not care who saw me nude, it is just a body, we all have one.” She looks to Carl. “Did you look?”

            Carl shakes his head vigorously. “No, ma’am, my dad taught me that I shouldn’t look at a lady naked without her permission… and that I shouldn’t look at all at least until I’m sixteen.” He still has his eyes turned towards the ground.

            Marie nods in approval. “See, that it the kind of thinking that good people have.” She leans to the side to get as much weight off her bad leg as she can. “That is what matters, a good person will respect me, a bad one… well I do not really give two shits what they think about me anyways.” The pain in her leg continues to get worse, in the back of her head she acknowledges that the run may have been a bad idea, but remains steadfast in her conviction to do what she did.

            The other four men approach them, Rick forcing Merle to walk the furthest from Marie as he can, and leading him past them. “Let’s have a chat about respecting people’s clothes.”

            Daryl is winded as he approaches Marie, his dark hair ruffled up, and a few red marks spread across his face, arms, and collar area. He comes with his eyes pointed straight up at the sky, heart thundering.

            “ _Mon lupe cherie_ , it is okay, I am decent.” Marie smiles, meeting his gaze as he looks down at her, surprising a giggle at the flush in his face. “I am fine.” She answers his question before he asks. “Thank you for defending my honor.”

            “I mean… I uh…” He tries to shrug non-chalantly. “Was just the right thing to do…” He was trying to ignore the feelings he had felt while he fought his brother, the all-encompassing rage and protectiveness he felt over the girl.

            “Still,” She takes his hand, squeezing it reassuringly. “That you are there to be my knight in shining armor… is good.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See this is why I kept Merle alive in this story, so he could do shit like this.


	6. Immobile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the past Marie spent a good deal of time almost completely immobile, sometimes this led to bonding with people, other times it led to fear that she wouldn't be able to escape incoming danger. But Marie can't sit still, even when Daryl tells her to, and when they don't see eye to eye, they aren't quiet about it.

_Early days of the Greene Farm_

            Sunshine filtered through the window, morning rays lighting the room like a scene in a movie. Marie groaned and cast her arm across her eyes, a futile attempt to block out the ever-brightening sun. Daryl made similar sounds, opting instead to grab a pillow and place it over his face. There was only one bed for the sick and injured in this house, and the two of them were forced to share it, so when Marie began to get up to close the curtains the mattress shifted and Daryl’s hand shot out, grabbing her by the upper arm.

            “Where you goin’…” He mumbled from under the pillow.

            “The light…” She tried to shake him off, but his grip was tight and persistent.

            “I’m not getting chewed out again over you bein’ on yer’ feet.” Upon returning from the woods Daryl had gotten quite an earful for letting her go out, apparently, she was not even supposed to be out of bed. Supposedly it was his job to know that and stop her.

            “The liiiiight!” She protested, still caught half way in sleep. She fought against him, but despite his weakened state he had the strength to hold her, granted she wasn’t fighting very hard.

            “Fine!” Daryl said in exasperation after a minute. “I’ll get the fuckin curtains you baby.” He threw the pillow to the side and began to sit up, pain blossomed across his body but he didn’t really care.

            “What are you doing?!” Marie exclaimed. “You need more so to stay in bed! It is only a few feet I will be fine.”

            “Naw I got it…” Daryl groaned, fighting the way his chest wound complained.

            “No, it is fine, forget about it.” She placed her hands on his shoulders and pushed him back into the pillows. “Do not make me baby sit you.”

            “Really, I thought it was the other way round.” There was a faint smile on Daryl’s face despite his pain. He looked up at her, somewhat enjoying the sight of her being over top of him, mostly for the point of this line. “If yer’ gunna stay on top of me you might as well get all the way on.” He teased and started to move her leg so she’d straddle him. The look of surprise on her face was priceless, and exactly the reaction he was looking to get. He had a stifled laugh when she backed off him.

            “Do not go misunderstanding my intentions! How much of the pain medication did the old man give you?”

            “Enough…” Daryl sighed and closed his eyes, then realized once more that the sunlight coming through the window was an annoyance.

            There was a moment of silence between them, as Marie sat gauging him, and he just tried to fall back asleep. It is only when Marie is certain that he has stopped paying attention to her that she makes her move. With a quick turn she bolted off the bed and towards the window.

            “Ey’! What are you doin’!” Daryl tried to sit up again, and glared at her as she pulled off her stunt.

            “Closing the curtains.” She said with definitiveness in her voice, grabbing them tightly and pulling them shut, plunging the room into a more acceptable light level. With a nod of satisfaction, she turned back, smirking at them, but with her next step of the left leg, it failed her, and she crumpled to the floor. “ _Merde…_ ” She groaned, hissing as pain set her thigh on fire, and she felt the sticky wetness of blood dripping down her leg under the thin pj bottoms she had received from Beth.

            “Good job dumbass.” He sighed, listening to the sound of footsteps above them, they had apparently roused the other occupants of the house. “Shit get back ‘ere before we get an earful.

            Marie couldn’t stand, so she had to think quick on her feet, or ass, either worked. With a pained grunt she rolled herself towards the bed, carefully positioning herself just under her side of it.

            “What are you doin’ get up here!” Daryl hissed, moving to look down at her.

            “What is going on in here?” Maggie opened the door, grumpily half asleep, but obligated to check on the injured. “Marie was you trying to walk again.”

            “No…” Marie let off a pathetic whine from where she laid on the floor. “I think Daryl pushed me out of bed.” She tried to sit up, groaning and rubbing her head.

            Daryl caught on quickly enough. “I did not! You rolled out on yer’ own accord!” He grabbed a pillow off the bed and threw it down at Marie, and she laughed as it hit her face, catching it and throwing it back upwards at him.

            “Right, right enough of that, one of you are going to get hurt…more...” Maggie looked between the two of them, before kneeling to help Marie back into the bed. “Be more careful, we don’t have the supplies to keep patching you up.”

            “I will try.” Marie put on a good innocent act. “It is hard though. I have to stay at the edge of the bed to get away from _monsieur_ Dixon’s squirrel stink.”

            Daryl feigned offense. “Not like you smell any better.” He did move to make more room on the bed for Marie.

            “Well you two will have to get over it, no more ‘falling’ out of bed.” Maggie rolled her eyes and starts towards the door. “I’ll have dad check on your leg in a bit.”

            With their bodies now closer together Daryl could put his arm around Marie’s shoulder, she responds by leaning into him. He smirks at Maggie. “This better now Mag? We’ll hold each other so we can’ fall off.” She responded with a snort before shutting the door behind her.

            They stay like that for a minute, not quite sure what to do. Once Daryl realized he was still holding her though he quickly retracted his arm. “Sorry…” He mumbled.

            “It is fine.”

_Present Day_

            “It’s not fine!” Daryl snaps at Marie, who is in her ell with her leg propped up on the wooden chair. Hershel knelt beside her, tending to the reopened bullet wounds on her leg.

            “Do not shout _mon loupe cherie_. I am fine, my leg is fine, we are all fine.” Marie tilted her head, looking up at him. “Well, all except for Merle?”

            Hershel sighs at looks up at her from the stitch work. “Daryl is right Marie. You need to allow this time to heal. We are in a safe place, it would only take a few months for it to be closed up if you just stayed off it.” She hisses as he pours disinfectant onto the puckered wounds. “Had we the luxury of a safe place sooner, it might already be healed…or if you had not gone running off around my farm on it all the time it would at least not bleed all the time.”

            Daryl is pacing the cell, trying not to visibly show his concern. “Marie… yer’ already lookin’ at permanent damage, but if you don’ let it heal… if one day you mess it up worse than what Hershel can fix…”

            “You could end up losin’ the leg.” Hershel finishes, looking Marie dead in the eye. “It’s a miracle you haven’t already, if you got an infection and we didn’t have the antibiotics, the muscle could die, a lot can happen, you can’t afford to be this reckless.”

            Marie smiles, trying to brush it off, but the thought terrified her. What did even more was the way that Daryl looked at her, that concern mixed with anger. “Daryl, you do not need to worry so much about me. I hate to see you like this.”

            “Wouldn’ have to go on worrin’ about you all the time if ya just took care of yerself!” He snaps, catching her off-guard. “Yer always runnin’ off and getting’ yerself into trouble. If ya just sat still for one damn minute we wouldn’ have this problem!” He’s still feeling hot blooded after his brawl with Merle. But the moment the words left his lips he regretted them. Hurt is evident in Marie’s eyes, she quickly turns away to hide, but the glimpse is enough to make Daryl’s stomach twist.

            “Hershel if you are done, I am going to lie down.” Her heart is racing, and she is trying to calm the thoughts pounding in her head. She already felt like a burden to the group, and hates sitting still when she could be out helping them. Perhaps this time had been a needless exacerbation of her condition, but it was not uncommon for her to return from solo supply runs in this state, when the group did not even know she had been out in the first place. Perhaps if she sat around doing nothing all day then her leg would heal, but she’d go insane if something happened while she was doing nothing.

            Hershel nods, grabbing his crutch and standing. Daryl moves to sit beside her, but the older man places a hand on his chest to stop. They don’t exchange word, but Daryl knows he’s saying that his place is not here right now.

            While being upset, Marie simultaneously managed to feel stupid for being upset. Still, she couldn’t bring herself to tell Daryl to stay when he steps out. With a deep and tired sigh, she lay down, telling herself that a good nap would make everything better.

_Greene Farm_

After the recent fuss about that boy being shot, Marie had been transplanted from the Greene’s guest bed to their living room sofa. She hadn’t gotten to meet the strangers yet, but had seen them in their frantic movement about the house. First there was the man, his son, and another. Soon after the mother made her arrival, and that night two more. Cousins stuck by her side, and so all of them went unnoticed. There was crying, and yelling, and a lot of things were being said that Marie couldn’t understand, occasionally Pierre would translate for her, keep her updated.

Morning came, and none of them had slept. Marie watched the orange of the rising sun slowly fill the room. The border of light creeping into the darkness. That orange was like fire, burning her eyes, the room already felt hot enough without it’s damn light. She couldn’t have slept even if she wanted to, she hadn’t slept in days, not with the way her leg hurt. It hurt more than anything she had ever felt, five holes in her leg, a cracked femur, and one bullet still lodged in the bone.

Carla sat in an armchair, tense, holding her belt knife but not drawing it. She trusted strangers the least of the three of them, being the only one to still not have let her guard down even around the Greene’s. Each person who entered that door she assessed, evaluated what kind of danger they could pose to her family, and looked for familiar faces. One had the same look about them that the man who put five bullets into Marie’s leg had, the dangerous kind. She was still just a kid, the first day of the end was on her seventeenth birthday. But in the following months she aged more than any of the previous years. She was also on lookout for any familiar faces, knowing they had never really gotten far from the place where they had been hurt.

Pierre was the one responsible for getting Marie moved in her current state, scooping her up from the bed and nearly hitting her head on the doorframe on the way out. Now he was at the entry way to the living room, observing nearby conversations regarding the state of things, but eventually he turned back to the girls.

“(The boy is going to live.)” He told them.

“(You are sure?)” The knot in Marie’s chest loosened a bit when he nodded. That was once concern off the table. Her thumbs fidgeted while considering the possibilities that lie ahead.

Before they could exchange more, the sound of a motorcycle drew their attention. They all knew that there were more people coming, but it still caused all three of them to jump. Carla practically leapt from her seat to reach the window, and Pierre made his way to the front door. Marie’s heart pounded, and she resisted the urge to cry out in pain while she sat up, peering over the top of the couch to see out the window behind it. The sound grew louder, and although she had always loved motorcycles, she dreaded this vehicles arrival.

First, she saw an RV, an interesting sight. And it took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the light so she could make out the bike and its rider. They watched as it approached, and watched as they stopped, and watched as people unloaded from the RV.

A collective sigh of relieve was passed between the three, no familiar faces. But faces they would eventually come to know very well.


End file.
